Relias Professional Standards and Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which document legally designates a person to make healthcare decisions for a patient who loses decision-making capacity?
- Living will
- Do-not-resuscitate order
- Durable power of attorney for healthcare (Correct answer)
- Informed consent form
Correct answer: Durable power of attorney for healthcare
A durable power of attorney for healthcare legally authorizes a surrogate decision-maker when the patient cannot make their own decisions.
Question 2: A social worker learns during a session that a client plans to harm a specific third party. The professional's ethical and legal obligation is to:
- Maintain confidentiality since what the client says in sessions is protected
- Warn the potential victim and notify appropriate authorities (duty to warn) (Correct answer)
- Terminate the therapeutic relationship immediately without further action
- Document the threat only in the case notes
Correct answer: Warn the potential victim and notify appropriate authorities (duty to warn)
Under the duty to warn (Tarasoff doctrine), clinicians must take steps to protect identifiable third parties from credible threats.
Question 3: Cultural competence in healthcare primarily involves:
- Speaking multiple languages fluently
- Understanding and respecting the cultural beliefs, values, and practices of patients to deliver effective care (Correct answer)
- Recommending only treatments approved within a patient's culture
- Avoiding discussion of cultural differences to prevent offense
Correct answer: Understanding and respecting the cultural beliefs, values, and practices of patients to deliver effective care
Cultural competence means recognizing and integrating patients' cultural contexts into care delivery to improve outcomes and respect dignity.
Question 4: An ethical dilemma in healthcare most accurately refers to a situation where:
- A patient refuses all medical care
- Two or more ethical principles conflict, making the right course of action unclear (Correct answer)
- A provider lacks the clinical skills to treat a condition
- A patient cannot afford the recommended treatment
Correct answer: Two or more ethical principles conflict, making the right course of action unclear
An ethical dilemma arises when competing ethical obligations (e.g., autonomy vs. beneficence) point toward different courses of action.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a professional code of ethics?
- To list the salary ranges for various professional roles
- To provide guidance on acceptable professional behavior and protect the public (Correct answer)
- To replace legal statutes governing professional conduct
- To define the educational requirements for certification
Correct answer: To provide guidance on acceptable professional behavior and protect the public
Codes of ethics set standards for professional conduct, guide decision-making, and serve as a public commitment to responsible practice.
Question 6: When documenting patient care, healthcare professionals should ensure records are:
- Completed at the end of the week to save time
- Accurate, objective, timely, and free of personal opinions (Correct answer)
- Written in medical jargon that only providers can interpret
- Shared with all staff regardless of their role in the patient's care
Correct answer: Accurate, objective, timely, and free of personal opinions
Accurate and timely documentation ensures continuity of care, legal protection, and clear communication among the care team.
Question 7: A patient signs an informed consent form but later states they did not understand what they signed. The provider's best course of action is to:
- Consider the consent legally binding since it was signed
- Re-explain the procedure, answer the patient's questions, and obtain a new consent if needed (Correct answer)
- Proceed with care since any misunderstanding is the patient's responsibility
- Consult risk management before speaking with the patient again
Correct answer: Re-explain the procedure, answer the patient's questions, and obtain a new consent if needed
Valid informed consent requires patient comprehension, not just a signature; the provider must ensure the patient truly understands before proceeding.
Relias Professional Standards and Ethics 3
Which document legally designates a person to make healthcare decisions for a patient who loses decision-making capacity?